Machine for sponging cloth



(No Model.)

W. HEBDON. MACHINE FOR SPONGING CLOTH.

No. 404,620. Patented June 4, 1889.,

Fig. 1.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEFI cE.

\VILLIAM HEBDON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR SPO NGING CLOTH.

SPECIFICATION forming part'of Letters Patent No. 404,620, dated June 4, 1889. Application filed February 23, 1889. Serial No. 300,875. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAMllEBDoN, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain 7, new and useful Improvements in Machines for Sponging Cloth, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine employed in the process of finishing cloth by passing live steam through it either while the cloth is in theform of a roll or in single thickness, said process producing a lasting finish in woolen cloths in a much shorter time than is required by other processes. It is essential in practicing this process that only dry steam be used and that all water of condensation be carefully kept from the cloth.

. My invention consists of a cylinder of improved construction through which the steam passes to the cloth, the construction being such that, while free passage of steam to the cloth is permitted, the access of water to the cloth from Within the cylinder is prevented, as I will now proceed to describe.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is an end view of a machine of which my improved cylinder is a part. Fig. 2 is a section on line 00 5c of Fig. 1, partly in elevation; and Fig. 3 is a section on line y y of Fig. 2 and an end view looking toward the left in said figure.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, a represents a supportingframe of suitable construction, on which are bearings b b. Said bearings support the journals c c of a cylinder cl. One of said journals c is tubular and receives a fixed pipe 6, which discharges live steam into the interior of the cylinder. WVithin the cylinder (Z is a perforated cone or hollow c'one-frustum f,extending lengthwise of the cylinder d and attached to the ends thereof, the steam-pipe e entering one end of said cone frustum, as shown in Fig. 2. The cone-frustum is provided with numerous perforations g, each of which is surrounded by an inwardly-projecting tubular guard g. Said guards are short inclined tubes projecting into the cone-frustum and permitting the steam to pass from said frustum into the cylinder (1, their inclination being such that water cannot be forced from the interior of the cone-frustum through the tubes g. The form of the cone-frustum causes its lower portion to present an incline from one end to the other, whereby water accumulating in the cone-frustum is caused to How to the larger end of the same, where it escapes through orificest' into a gutterj at one end of the cylinder d, the inclined guardtubes preventing any of such water from passing through the perforations g in the conefru stu n1. The cylinder has a series of tubes k extending inwardly from its outer surface for the escape of steam from said cylinder into the cloth, which is either wound upon or 1 passed over the periphery, of the cylinder. The inner ends of said tubes are curved laterally to form hoods arranged to prevent water from dropping into said tubes. The cylinder (Z is provided with a tapered lining d, which gives the lower portion of the inner surface of said cylinder a continuous incline from one end to the other.v The gutter j is at the lower end of said incline, so that it receives the water of condensation from the outer cylinder as well as from the cone-frustum therein. The water escapes from the gutter j through a waste-pipe m. It will be seen, therefore, that the steam entering the conefrustum passes from thence into the outer cylinder and from the lat-ter into the cloth, and that the water which may accumulate in the cylinder is prevented from coming in contact with the cloth, and is carried to one end of the cylinder and there discharged.

In the organizedmachine two cylinders of the above construction are shown, said cylinders being connected by gears r r on their shafts and rotated by power suitably applied to wind the cloth on and unwind it from said cylinders when the cloth is to be steamed in bulk.

WVhile the cylinder is being rotated it is desirable that the waste-pipe be opened only when it is at about the lowest point in its rotation, to avoid scattering the waste water.

To this end I have shown the waste-pipe provided with a valve 25, which has an arm a attached'to it, one end of said arm being connected with a spring o, which normally closes said valve. A fixed stud or pin w, Fig. 3, is arranged to strike the arm a and open the valve when the waste-pipe is near the lowest IOO point in its revolution, the valve being thus held open briefly and then closed again by the spring r. The Water thus released falls into a trough y, from which it escapes in any suitable way. I do not limit myself to these particular devices for automatically opening the waste-pipe, but may use any other suitable devices without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The process of finishing cloth by passing live steam through it by means of this improved cylinder I term boil-finishing, and I have found by practical experience that it produces a lasting finish upon woolen cloths in a small fraction of the time required by the old process, in which water is used. Plushes, velvets, and various other delicate fabrics may be treated by this process and apparatus.

The cylinder 01 is shown in Fig. 2 as constructed with double walls and ends separated by spaces which are filled with a suitable packing material to prevent the radiation of heat.

I claim- 1. In a cloth-finishing apparatus, ahorizontal rotary perforated cylinder fitted to receive steam and provided with a tapered lining, whereby the lower internal surface of the cylinder is given a continuous incline from one end to the other, said cylinder being also provided with inwardly-projecting tubes having bent or hooded inner ends and with an outlet for the escape of water, as set forth.

2. In a cloth-finishing apparatus, the combination of a horizontal rotary perforated cylinder having inwardly-projecting pipes with bent or hooded ends, a perforated cone or cone-frustum having guard-tubes g, and a steam-supply pipe entering said cone, as set forth.

In a cloth-finishing apparatus, the combination of a horizontal rotary perforated cylinder having an outlet or waste pipe, an automaticallyclosed valve therefor, and means for opening said valve at a given point in the rotation of the cylinder.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 16th day of February, A. I). 188$).

W ILLIAM IIEBDON.

Witnesses:

C. F. BRowN, A. D. IIARRIsoN. 

